“Where can we talk without being disturbed?” Stephen asked abruptly.

Her voice was unsteady; she tried to calm it, and herself.

“N-no one is likely to c-come in,” she said. “The—the people who live here—go out to work—all day. There— there isn’t anything—to say—really, Stephen! Please don’t—please don’t argue!”

“There’s everything to say, Elizabeth. You know that.”

“No, no. Please—oh, please leave me alone! I—I can’t come back to you! I can’t! I—you said I ch-cheated you, and—and I think—it’s true.” She took a deep breath. “I—never really—loved you. I—I’m sorry, Stephen.” It was out. She had said it; she had been frank, but what an effort it had cost her!

“You did love me once. It was my abominable temper the other day that frightened you. I’ve come to apologise for that. If you will—come back to me—it shall be on your—own—terms.”

“Oh, I can’t, I can’t! Please don’t! Please don’t!”

“You must come back. In time—you’ll learn—to care, perhaps.”

“No, no! You—you don’t understand! I can’t! I’d r-rather die!”

He winced.

“Elizabeth, we’re not living in a neurotic novel! You can’t leave me like this! It’s unthinkable!”

“I—I have left you! I— can’t live with you! I didn’t know—I couldn’t— I—I won’t cheat you—any more— so I’ve—I’ve run away.”

He tried to take her hand; she evaded him.

“I’d no right to say what I did, Elizabeth. I’ll try to make you happy if only you’ll trust me again! I’ll—I’ll try to be content with your companionship. Can’t you forgive me?”

“No—please, no! Please let me go! It’s not f-fair— you—you couldn’t be con-content and—I—you couldn’t make me happy. I—I’m not a companion to you. I— don’t understand you. Nina does. She can—be your companion. I can’t! I can’t!”

“Nina! Good God, what is Nina compared with you?”

“I—I don’t know. I didn’t mean— Don’t be angry! I can’t bear it. It’s—it’s been a mistake. I can’t go on— I can’t go on!”

“You mean that the sight of me is hateful to you?”

It was. She could not forget his face when they had quarrelled. Cruelty and desire. Horrible. Horrible.

“Oh, I—no, no! It’s only— Oh, I’m so tired of it all! I want to be left alone! I want to be—to be able to think! It was a mistake. Everything!”